Burnout is a state of prolonged stress resulting in mental, physical and emotional exhaustion. We’ve discussed this issue before and shared advice to help you spot the warning signs before burnout takes hold. But what if it’s too late for that?

Burnout won’t go away on its own. It’s not something you can push through, and until you address the underlying causes, it will continue to get worse. Recovering from burnout is a slow process. You need time and space to recuperate. Here are seven ways to heal and recover:

Identify Why

In order to move forward, it’s important to identify why you experienced burnout in the first place. The answer to this question might be obvious, or it might require some deeper introspection. Keeping a stress diary is a good way to monitor your stress levels. Each day, note both big and small causes of stress, record the cause of stress and why you think the situations made you feel that way.